Coronavirus Timeline: Tracking major moments of COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Novel coronavirus has spread worldwide at a blistering pace, from a cluster of cases in Wuhan, China to a pandemic now affecting most of the world, every U.S. state, and all Bay Area counties. We're keeping track of the major moments here.

Updates are usually posted weekdays by 8 p.m.

September 15, 2020

• Marin County improves its position, moving from the purple tier to the red tier on the state's classification of coronavirus activity. It opens up the possibility for more businesses to reopen. Red means that coronavirus activity is substantial; it's a step down from the purple category of widespread coronavirus activity.


• California is among six states removed from New York state's travel advisory list. The advisory required travelers to quarantine for 14 days.

September 14, 2020

• Indoor salons and indoor gyms are allowed to reopen in San Francisco for the first time in six months.


• Alameda County now has more than 20,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus, more than any other Bay Area county.


• BART increases the frequency of trains, saying ridership is picking up.

September 11, 2020

• Annual remembrances for 9/11 are changed because of the coronavirus pandemic as well as the miserably low air quality levels from nearby wildfires.

September 10, 2020

• San Francisco announces that indoor salons and more will be allowed to open on Monday, September 14 for the first time in nearly six months.

September 9, 2020

• The worldwide death toll from coronavirus exceeds 900,000 according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.


• 15 Marin County schools reopen today for in-person instruction after receiving a waiver from the state. Marin County remains classified in California's worst tier, purple, which means coronavirus activity is widespread.


• Today Governor Gavin Newsom signed three bills to help California's small businesses. One authorizes up to $100 million in tax credits for small businesses that hire or rehire employees in the next three months. Companies with fewer than 100 employees that lost at least half their typical revenue between April and June will be eligible. They can get $1,000 in credits for each worker hired.

September 8, 2020

• Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties change tiers in the state's color-coded coronavirus classification system. These are two of five California counties moving from purple, the worst category, to red, which allows more businesses to open. Marin County expected to move from the "purple" to "red" category, but the state opted to hold off and monitor the county's coronavirus trends for another week.

September 4, 2020

• The Bay Area now has more than 90,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• Alameda County allows indoor salon operations to resume. Outdoor fitness and dance classes, as well as outdoor entertainment centers, can reopen.

September 3, 2020

• 15 schools in Marin County will be allowed to reopen for in-person instruction as early as September 8.

September 2, 2020

• Governor Gavin Newsom announces the state will be using $600 million to purchase hotels, motels and apartment buildings by the end of the year for supportive homeless housing to alleviate the pandemic's financial impact.

September 1, 2020

• Stanford University closes most of its campus to the public to limit the spread of coronavirus.

August 31, 2020

• The number of diagnosed coronavirus cases in the United States exceeds 6 million. No other country in the world has reported as many cases. Brazil has the second-highest total with 3.9 million cases, followed by India with 3.6 million cases.


• California has more than 700,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• Napa County reopens indoor dining, gyms, and churches, with restrictions.


• Santa Clara County reopens salons and malls with reduced capacity.


• State lawmakers vote on AB 3088 which would extend eviction protections. The deadline to pass the bill is midnight tonight.


• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits a San Francisco salon and goes inside for a shampoo and blowout, which violates current city health orders. The visit leads to a firestorm of controversy.

August 30, 2020

• There are more than 25 million diagnosed coronavirus cases worldwide. The United States has reported more than any other country.

August 28, 2020

• Alameda County allows for more outdoor business activity, including hair and nail salon operations. Contra Costa County also allows these to begin, along with some other operations.


• San Francisco Mayor London Breed announces that businesses including salons can reopen for outdoor services beginning on September 1, with outdoor gyms allowed starting September 9.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces a new framework for evaluating coronavirus activity and allowing businesses to resume operations with a color-coded system. The state is moving away from the watch list; if a county was on the watch list for increased coronavirus activity then it faced additional business restrictions.

August 26, 2020

• The number of diagnosed coronavirus cases worldwide now tops 20 million.


• The Centers for Disease Control updates its guidance for coronavirus testing. The CDC now says you do not necessarily need a test if you have been in close contact with a person with a COVID-19 infection, as long as you don't show symptoms. California Governor Gavin Newsom is among those critical of the change.


• Gov. Gavin Newsom announces a new partnership with PerkinElmer to produce more coronavirus tests with faster results, at a lower price to the state.

August 21, 2020

• Napa County comes off the state's watch list because its coronavirus activity is within limits set by the state.


• Alameda County announces that more outdoor activities will be allowed beginning in one week, including outdoor hair and nail salon operations. Wineries will be allowed to provide outdoor tastings without offering food. Outdoor swimming pools will be allowed to open.

August 19, 2020

• The Bay Area now has more than 75,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus and it has claimed more than 1,000 lives.

August 17, 2020

• The Democratic National Convention holds its first day as a virtual production due to coronavirus concerns. It is scheduled to last through Thursday, August 20.


• Alcatraz reopens to the public after being closed for five months due to the coronavirus pandemic.


• The Bay Area's biggest school district, San Francisco Unified, holds its first day of class with all online learning.


• The state's watch list of counties with increased coronavirus activity has been unfrozen. Five counties have been added to the list since July 25, when the data glitch prompted the list to be frozen. One county, Santa Cruz, has been removed.

August 14, 2020

• California becomes the first state in the nation to report more than 600,00 diagnosed cases of coronavirus. This total does include patients who have recovered and are no longer ill.


• Santa Cruz County is removed from the state's watch list, but the information is not revealed until Monday, August 17 when Governor Gavin Newsom announces that the watch list has been unfrozen since the state's coronavirus data backlog has been resolved.

August 13, 2020

• Contra Costa County exceeds 10,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus. That is the third highest total of any Bay Area county, following Alameda and Santa Clara Counties.


• Stanford University reverses plans to allow some students to live on campus because the coronavirus pandemic has not diminished as much as the university expected.


• For the first time in 21 weeks, the number of new unemployment claims filed was under one million.

August 12, 2020

• Wearing masks and observing social distancing, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his newly named running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, hold their first event together.


• The San Jose Unified School District starts a new school year with all remote learning for the first time.

August 11, 2020

• Russia announces it has the first coronavirus vaccine that is approved for use, despite international skepticism.


• Marin County allows beauty salons to reopen for business as long as they are operating outside. Indoor operations are not allowed because Marin County is on the state's watch list for increased coronavirus activity.


• Both the Big Ten and Pac-12 won't play football this fall because of concerns about COVID-19, taking two of college football's five power conferences out of a crumbling season amid the pandemic.

August 10, 2020

• The number of coronavirus cases worldwide exceeds 20 million. There are more than 5 million reported cases in the United States.


• For the first time ever, Oakland Unified School District begins a new school year with all classes held online.

August 9, 2020

• The United States has diagnosed more than 5 million cases of coronavirus, more than any other country in the world.


• New Zealand marks its 100th day without a new diagnosed case of coronavirus.


• California's Public Health Director, Dr. Sonia Angell, abruptly resigns, without providing a reason.

August 8, 2020

• President Trump signs four orders on unemployment, student loans, evictions, and social security payroll taxes, to relieve the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

August 7, 2020

• California has now recorded more than 10,000 deaths from coronavirus.

August 6, 2020

• Alameda County now has more than 12,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus, the most of any Bay Area county.


• Napa County has exceeded 1,000 cases of coronavirus.


• Sonoma County approves fines for violating health orders. Individuals face $100 fines for not wearing a mask or ignoring social distancing guidelines. San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Marin, Napa, and Contra Costa Counties have also approved fines.

August5, 2020

• San Francisco now has more than 7,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• In Santa Clara County, the total number of coronavirus cases exceeds 11,000. In the Bay Area, only Alameda County has more cases.


• California officials now say numbers of COVID-19 cases are being underreported because of a technical problem. It's a technical problem with the electronic system used by state and local health departments.

August 4, 2020

• San Mateo County and Santa Cruz County both approve fines for people not wearing a mask or face covering. The first offense is $100.


• Contra Costa County now has more than 8,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus. It is the third highest total in the Bay Area, following Alameda and Santa Clara Counties.


• In Santa Clara, California's Great America theme park announces it will remain closed for the rest of the year.

August 3, 2020

• Santa Clara County now has more than 10,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus, becoming only the second Bay Area county to exceed that mark. Alameda County has the most cases of any local county. Alameda County's current total is above 11,500.

August 2, 2020

• At 12:01am, San Mateo County closes businesses including indoor gyms and salons because it has been on the state's watch list for more than three consecutive days for increased coronavirus activity.

August 1, 2020

• California's total number of coronavirus cases tops 500,000.The state sets another new record for the number of deaths reported in a 24 hour period with 219 total.

July 31, 2020

• A Central Valley teenager is California's youngest victim of coronavirus. A 17-year-old Los Angeles boy whose death was reported on March 24, 2020 was originally said to have died of coronavirus; further tests revealed that was not the cause of death. The state's coronavirus death toll now tops 9,000.

July 30, 2020

• The Bay Area exceeds more than 50,000 total cases of coronavirus. The number jumped from 49,819 to 51,155 overnight. This includes the nine Bay Area counties plus Santa Cruz County. The total number of cases includes people who have recovered. Deaths in the Bay Area now exceed 800.


• The NBA season resumes after a four month hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. 22 teams are taking part. The Golden State Warriors are not included because the team's record was too poor to qualify.


• Former presidential candidate Herman Cain passes away weeks after being diagnosed with coronavirus.


• California Pizza Kitchen files for bankruptcy amid the pandemic.

July 29, 2020

• The United States has more than 150,000 deaths from coronavirus, the most reported by any country in the world.


• San Mateo County is the last Bay Area county to join the state's watch list for increased coronavirus activity. If it stays on the list for three consecutive days then businesses like indoor malls, gyms, and salons will have to close.


• The state reports a record number of deaths in a 24 hour period. 197 people lost their lives.


• The Oakland Zoo reopens to the general public.


• Governor Gavin Newsom unveils a plan to tackle the problems that have plagued the state's Employment Development Department and caused delays and other issues for people trying to access unemployment benefits.

July 28, 2020

• Contra Costa County Supervisors vote in favor of issuing fines to people who do not obey public health orders to wear a face covering. Fines for an individual's first offense will be $100. A third citation is $500.

July 27, 2020

• Gov. Gavin Newsom announces a $52 million investment in the Central Valley to enhance COVID-19 response because of a recent surge of coronavirus activity in eight counties there.


• The world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the U.S. government -- one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.


• Google tells employees they can continue to work from home through July 2021. Previously, the Mountain View-based search giant had told staff they could work remotely through the end of 2020.


• The Oakland Zoo reopens to members only. The public can visit beginning on Wednesday, July 29.

July 26, 2020

• Santa Cruz County is confirmed to be on the state's watch list for increased coronavirus activity, which means that businesses like salons and gyms have to shut down. In the Bay Area, only San Mateo County is not on the watch list.


• Actor Mel Gibson reveals he had to be hospitalized for coronavirus.

July 24, 2020

• Alameda County becomes the first in the Bay Area to exceed 10,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• California reports a record high number of deaths for the second day in a row. 159 people died in the past 24 hours, bringing the state's total to 8,186.


• Governor Newsom announces new protections for essential workers in a move designed to aid the Latino community which is disproportionaly bearing the brunt of coronavirus cases.

July 23, 2020

• The United States now has more than 4 million diagnosed cases of coronavirus, the most reported by any country in the world. Brazil is in second place with 2.2 million cases. India ranks third with 1.2 million. All other countries have fewer than 1 million cases each, according to Johns Hopkins University.


• It's finally opening day for Major League Baseball, delayed four months because of the coronavirus pandemic.


• For the first time since March, weekly unemployment claims increased. 1.4 million Americans filed unemployment for the first time last week. The total number of people receiving jobless benefits is 16.2 million, which is actually a slight decrease.


• President Trump calls off the Republican National Convention, scheduled for Florida, amid rising coronavirus concerns.


• California records its highest daily death toll of the pandemic. 157 people died in the past 24 hours, bringing the state's total to 8,027.

July 22, 2020

• With 413,576 cases, California passes New York for the state with the highest number in the United States. The total includes people who have recovered. New York's 32,520 confirmed deaths are four times California's tally of nearly 8,000 deaths. California's population is roughly double that of the state of New York.


• California reports a record number of new cases in a day (12,807), a record number of hospitalizations (7,170), and a record high death rate (95 deaths/day average).


• Worldwide, there are more than 15 million diagnosed cases of coronavirus. The United States is on the brink of recording 4 million cases, more than any other country.

July 21, 2020

• President Trump holds his first coronavirus briefing since April, in which he encouraged people to wear masks.


• California becomes the second state to report more than 400,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus. Only New York has more cases, and California may soon eclipse it. There are a record high number of coronavirus patients hospitalized and in ICUs in California.


• Marin County supervisors have approved a temporary ordinance that imposes civil penalties on people and businesses who fail to follow face covering orders.


• Walmart announces it will not be open on Thanksgiving this year, to give its employees a break to be with their families.

July 20, 2020

• Walmart begins a mandatory mask policy at all stores in the United States.


• Salons are given the green light by the state to move their operations outside.


• San Francisco closes indoor malls and non-essential offices because it has remained on the state's watch list for more than 3 days. In the Bay Area, only San Mateo County is not on the watch list.


• The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced it will be delaying education-based athletics for the 2020-2021 school year.

July 18, 2020

• Alameda County now has more than 9,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus, more than any other county in the Bay Area.

July 17, 2020

• It's been exactly four months since most of the Bay Area began to shelter in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces that school cannot begin in person in any county that is on the state's watch list for increased coronavirus activity. Currently, 33 of California's 58 counties are on that list.


• San Francisco says it has been placed on the state's watch list, and plans to close indoor malls and non-essential offices within 3 days. San Mateo County is the only one in the Bay Area to not reach the watch list, but data shows it is approaching the threshold.


• Sonoma County now has more than 2,000 cases of coronavirus.


• There are more than 3,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus in Monterey County.


• India becomes the third country in the world to surpass 1 million cases of coronavirus. Brazil has more than 2 million. The United States is the only country to record more than 3 million cases.


• More than 14 million coronavirus cases have been diagnosed around the world. It has caused more than 600,000 deaths.

July 16, 2020

• Santa Clara County now has more than 7,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus, the second highest total in the Bay Area after Alameda County.


• Marin County has more than 2,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus. That does not include the number of cases at San Quentin State Prison, which has 1,162 inmates with coronavirus according to California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.


• Target and CVS Health announce that masks will be mandatory for customers in all stores nationwide, joining a growing list of corporations with this requirement that includes Walmart, Starbucks, Best Buy, Kohl's, and Kroger.


• A San Francisco judge has ruled that witnesses for an upcoming criminal case will be wearing transparent face masks. It's the first ruling of its kind as courts grapple with a new coronavirus reality.


• The federal ban on cruise ships operating in U.S. waters is being extended through September.

July 15, 2020

• The state sees a record number of new coronavirus cases in one day with 11,126. On average, California records 7,927 new cases in a day.


• California's death rate from coronavirus hits a new record high of 83 deaths per day.


• Taxes are due today. The traditional April deadline was delayed for 3 months because of the pandemic.


• Some Santa Clara County businesses that reopened on Monday, July 13 have to close today, including gyms, hair salons, nail salons, indoor malls, indoor churches, and non-essential offices. That's because Santa Clara County has been on the state's watch list for more than three days.


• Alameda County's request for a variance is approved by the state, which means that outdoor dining is allowed and the Oakland Zoo can reopen. Only one county in California does not have a variance: Imperial County, on the southern border.


• Alameda County officially joins the state's watch list of counties with increased coronavirus activity. 7 of the Bay Area's 9 counties are now on the list. Only San Francisco and San Mateo Counties are not on the watch list.


• San Francisco Unified School District, the largest in the Bay Area, announces that fall classes will begin with distance learning, and not with students in the classroom.


• San Francisco further pauses the reopening of businesses including hair and nail salons, indoor museums, and outdoor swimming pools. These businesses were originally told they would be able to open on June 29.


• Starbucks begins a mandatory mask policy at all stores in the United States.


• The 2021 Rose Parade is officially canceled for the first time since World War II.

July 14, 2020

• Alameda County becomes the first in the Bay Area to exceed 8,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• Alameda County Supervisors unanimously vote in favor of filing a variance with the state, which will allow the county to advance reopening plans beyond the statewide limits.


• Contra Costa County now has more than 5,000 cases of coronavirus.


• There are now 600 cases of coronavirus in Santa Cruz County.


• The first Covid-19 vaccine tested in the United States is poised for final testing.


• The Trump administration rescinds a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the pandemic.

July 13, 2020

• Worldwide, more than 13 million cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed.


• The Bay Area, including Santa Cruz County, has a total of more than 35,000 coronavirus cases.


• Napa County has 500 cases of coronavirus.


• San Mateo County now has more than 4,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces new restrictions will take effect to curb the spread of coronavirus. Statewide, all bars must close. Indoor dining has to shut down, along with indoor wineries and tasting rooms. Movie theaters, entertainment centers like bowling alleys, indoor museums, and cardrooms have to close. Counties that have been on the state's watch list for 3 days or more must also close the following: gyms, hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, indoor malls, and indoor places of worship. 5 Bay Area counties are on the watch list including Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Solano, and most recently, Sonoma. Alameda and Santa Clara Counties were just added to the watch list, and if they are not removed within 3 days they will have to close additional businesses. San Francisco and San Mateo Counties are not on the watch list or being monitored.


• Santa Clara County's new health order takes effect, which allows gyms, hair salons and tattoo parlors to reopen. However, the county is being monitored by the state because of increased coronavirus activity so these businesses may have to close on Wednesday, July 15.


• The San Francisco Zoo officially reopens to members only. The public can visit the zoo beginning on Wednesday, July 15.

July 12, 2020

• Santa Clara exceeds 6,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• Alameda County is added to the state's monitoring list for increased coronavirus activity. If the situation does not improve, then the county faces additional restrictions and may have to close some businesses.

July 11, 2020

• The World Health Organization acknowledges that airborne transmission of coronavirus is possible.

July 10, 2020

• Sonoma County has been put back on the state's monitoring list for increased coronavirus activity. If it continues, then indoor dining, indoor tasting rooms, and bars could close as early as July 13.


• San Francisco announces that the Zoo will reopen on Monday, July 13. It will also allow shoppers to bring reusable bags to stores, which had been temporarily banned over concerns these might help spread coronavirus.


• California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announces that up to 8,000 prison inmates could be released over the next few months to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.


• Solano County now has more than 2,000 diagnosed coronavirus cases.


• Oakland public schools are one month away from resuming classes. All students will begin with online classes. Oakland Unified expects to teach students in small groups, once the fourth week of the school year starts.


• Alameda County finds out from the state that it needs to shut down outdoor dining. Alameda is one of two state counties without a variance, which is the permission to advance reopening, and thus does not have state permission to allow outdoor dining.

July 9, 2020

• Napa County closes indoor dining, indoor tasting rooms, and more because it has been on the state's watch list for several consecutive days due to a rise in coronavirus activity. These will be closed for at least three weeks.

July 8, 2020

• The number of diagnosed cases worldwide exceeds 12 million, just 5 days after reaching the 11 million milestone. The U.S. has 3 million cases, and 131,480 deaths, the highest number in the world.


• The COVID Tracking Project says today saw a new daily high in cases in the U.S., with 62,197 total cases. The project said the number of patients currently hospitalized is more than 43,000, which is about the levels in mid-May. The 7-day average on deaths is now creeping back up as well, with more than 800 deaths reported by states.


• The Ivy League became the first Division I conference to postpone fall sports due to the coronavirus pandemic.The league cited restrictions on student and staff travel, requirements for social distancing, limits on group gatherings, and regulations for visitors to campus as some of the factors that led to the decision.


• As United Airlines faces its biggest crisis in company history, the airline says it is prepared to furlough almost 36,000 employees in October, or 45% of its US-based workers.


• Santa Clara County releases guidelines for gyms to reopen safely. The rules require face masks and physical distancing. Locker rooms and showers are off limits. Any strenuous activity, that results in heavy breathing or an elevated heartrate, must be done outside.


• Stanford University announces it will cut 11 varsity sports teams and eliminate 20 staff positions.


• San Francisco health officials release rules for schools to reopen.


• Alameda County surpasses 7,000 cases of coronavirus, the most of any Bay Area county.

July 7, 2020

• Santa Clara County's attestation for a variance is approved by the state which means that it can advance its reopening plans. Gyms, hair salons, nail salons, hotels, outdoor pools, and outdoor dining all expect to reopen on July 13. Only two counties out of California's 58 have not filed for a variance: Alameda and Imperial Counties.


• San Francisco decides to pause its next planned reopening, which means that indoor dining is on hold. It was scheduled to resume on July 13.


• Both Contra Costa and San Francisco counties exceed 4,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• There are more than 500 diagnosed coronavirus cases in Santa Cruz County.


• The number of coronavirus cases in the Bay Area, including Santa Cruz County, exceeds 30,000.

July 6, 2020

• California's State Capitol building is closed for the next week after two people who work there test positive for coronavirus.


• Santa Clara County is removed from the state's watch list. Contra Costa, Marin, and Solano counties remain on the list.


• Napa County says the state has placed it on the watch list and anticipates having to close indoor dining, indoor tasting rooms, indoor museums, movie theaters, as well as both indoor and outdoor bars, on July 9. The closures will last through the end of the month.

July 5, 2020

• Broadway star Nick Cordero dies from coronavirus. Cordero, age 41, had been hospitalized since March, during which time he had a leg amputated and was put into a medically induced coma.


• Marin County bans indoor dining because of worsening coronavirus numbers which have put it on the state's watch list. The restriction takes effect at 11:59 p.m. and will last for at least 3 weeks. Marin County allowed outdoor dining to resume on June 29.


• Sonoma County reports its biggest spike of coronavirus cases.92 people tested positive for the virus on July 3. If the trend continues, Sonoma could end up on the state's watch list.

July 4, 2020

• Fourth of July celebrations are modified or minimized to accommodate health concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.


• A record number of coronavirus tests - 127,000 - are performed across California.


• Outdoor dining shuts down in Morgan Hill and Gilroy, after restaurants received notices from California's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) for allegedly violating state rules about what is allowed to reopen .


• Santa Clara County's application for a variance, which would allow it to advance reopening, is denied by the state.

July 3, 2020

• The number of coronavirus cases worldwide tops 11 million. Globally there are more than 523,000 reported deaths, including 129,405 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.


• Major League Baseball cancels the All-Star Game for first time since World War II because of the coronavirus pandemic.


• Marin County is placed on the state's watch list because of an increase in coronavirus activity. If it does not slow down, and Marin County remains on the watch list, then indoor dining could close as early as July 5.

July 2, 2020

• Alameda County now exceeds 6,000 diagnosed coronavirus cases.


• Napa County has more than 400 cases of coronavirus.


• Santa Clara County lays out its plans for the next steps of reopening, which are contingent on the state approving Santa Clara's newly filed attestation for a variance, which is the formal process by which counties advance reopening. The new order would take effect no earlier than July 13. It would allow personal care services, including hair and nail salons, as well as gyms, hotels, and small social gatherings to resume.


• In Vallejo, Six Flags reopens partially for the first time since it shut in mid-March. No rides are operating, but visitors can see the animal attractions. Capacity has been lowered from 12,000 to 2,000 and temperatures are taken upon entry.

July 1, 2020

• The Bay Area, including Santa Cruz County, has more than 25,000 total diagnosed cases.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces the return of some stricter restrictions and business closures ahead of Fourth of July weekend. Effective immediately, restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and cardrooms have to shut down indoor operations. Those businesses can still operate outdoors. This applies to 19 counties that are on the state's watch list due to rapid increases in the number of coronavirus cases. Bars, both indoor and outdoor, must close in those 19 counties.


• Many beach parking lots are closing for the holiday weekend to reduce crowds of visitors including in Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and Monterey.


• The city of Monterey issues an emergency order to require the use of a face covering in business districts while also closing the city's beaches for the holiday weekend.


• Solano County closes down indoor dining, indoor tasting rooms, as well as indoor and outdoor bars, following an order from the state.

June 30, 2020

• Travelers from California are subject to a 14-day quarantine if they arrive in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut.


• The European Union has excluded the United States from its initial "safe list" of countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel. 14 countries outside of the EU will be allowed in: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.


• Contra Costa County now has more than 3,000 cases of coronavirus.

June 29, 2020

• Marin County reopens hair salons, indoor restaurant dining, campgrounds, RV parks and more.


• Muir Woods National Park reopens.


• Contra Costa County decides to postpone openings that were planned for July 1. It will no longer allow gyms, museums, hotels, bars, indoor restaurant dining, nail salons, massage shops, tattoo parlors, and other personal care services to resume business.


• Alameda County announces it will put on hold any future reopening plans, including a plan to file an attestation for a variance with the state which would have allowed it to accelerate reopening.


• Napa County exceeds 300 coronavirus cases.


• The state adds four counties, including Solano, to a watch list of counties being monitored because of rapidly increasing coronavirus cases. There are 19 counties on the list which represent 72% of California's population.


• Los Angeles County becomes the first county in the United States to report more than 100,000 diagnosed coronavirus cases.


• All beaches in Los Angeles County will be closed for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend to reduce crowding and the chance of community spread of the coronavirus.


• In New York, Broadway will remain dark through the rest of the year. Refunds are being offered for tickets through early January. Broadway closed abruptly on March 12 and this is the third extension of the shutdown.


• As of today, the United States has reported more than 2.5 million cases of coronavirus.

June 28, 2020

• The global number of diagnosed coronavirus cases tops 10 million.


• The worldwide coronavirus death toll exceeds 500,000. There are 125,000 deaths in the United States.


• In an effort to reduce rapidly increasing rates of coronavirus infections, Governor Gavin Newsom orders seven counties to close bars and recommends closures in another eight counties, including Contra Costa and Santa Clara. Those two counties had not yet allowed bars to open. Indoor bars were set to reopen on July 1 in Contra Costa County.

June 27, 2020

• The United States records its largest single-day increase with 45,000 new coronavirus cases.


• Santa Clara County exceeds 4,000 diagnosed coronavirus cases.

June 26, 2020

• San Francisco abruptly halts plans to reopen more businesses on June 29, citing a sharp increase in cases overnight. Hair salons, nail salons, tattoo shops, museums, zoos, and outdoor bars are now on hold.


• Contra Costa County warns that an increase in coronavirus cases jeopardizes its next planned stage of reopening. On July 1, indoor dining, bars, gyms, museums, hotels, nail salons, and tattoo parlors expect to be able to open.


• Marin County reduces the amount of businesses scheduled to reopen on Monday, June 29. It will allow hair salons, barbershops, indoor dining, campgrounds, RV parks, picnic and barbecue areas to reopen. Hotels, nail salons, tattoo parlors, massage and skincare services, and gyms will not be allowed to reopen.


• San Quentin State Prison, located in Marin County, now has the highest number of active coronavirus cases among inmates of any prison in the state system. 545 San Quentin inmates are infected.


• San Mateo County has more than 3,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• Sonoma County exceeds 1,000 cases of coronavirus.


• Bay to Breakers officially cancels the 2020 race. The annual running race across San Francisco usually takes place in May. Because of the pandemic, in March the race organizers postponed the event to September, but now have canceled it completely.

June 25, 2020

• San Francisco receives state approval to advance its reopening plans, which means that hair salons, nail salons, tattoo shops, massage parlors, museums, zoos, outside swimming pools and outdoor bars can reopen. Only Alameda County, Santa Clara County, and Imperial County out of California's 58 counties have not filed a variance.


• Santa Cruz County announces that beach restrictions will end tonight. Rules that forbid people from sunbathing or having a picnic were too hard to enforce.


• Chuck E. Cheese files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Texas-based chain had been experiencing financial trouble before the pandemic, but the prolonged closure of its restaurants has taken an even greater toll.


• In Paris, the Eiffel Tower reopens to the public for the first time since March.

June 24, 2020

• It is 100 days since most of the Bay Area began to shelter in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus.


• Marin County exceeds 1,000 cases of coronavirus. This count does not include cases diagnosed at San Quentin prison. The first case at San Quentin was reported on June 1; now, there are more than 500 diagnosed cases among inmates and staff.


• California records its highest ever single day coronavirus case count with 7,149 new cases.

June 23, 2020

• The state records its highest ever single day total of new coronavirus cases, with 7,149 diagnosed.


• Solano County now has more than 1,000 diganosed cases of coronavirus.


• Santa Cruz County announces more than 300 cases of coronavirus.

June 22, 2020

• The number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases hit another milestone, topping 9 million worldwide. It took only seven days for the number of cases to increase by one million.


• The number of coronavirus cases in the Bay Area, including Santa Cruz County, tops 20,000.


• Alameda County now reports more than 5,000 coronavirus cases. It is the first county in the Bay Area to exceed 5,000 cases.


• San Francisco updates its timeline for reopening. In one week, on June 29, hair salons, nail salons, tattoo shops, massage parlors, museums, zoos, outside swimming pools and outdoor bars can reopen. The original date to open these businesses was July 15. The earlier opening is contingent on San Francisco receiving state approval for a variance.


• The Monterey Bay Aquarium announces it will reopen on July 13.


• Apple holds its annual Worldwide Developers Conference completely online for the first time ever.

June 21, 2020

• The World Health Organization reports the largest single one-day increase in the number of coronavirus cases. More than 183,000 new cases worldwide were reported in the last 24-hour period.


• Actor and comedian D.L. Hughley says he has tested positive for coronavirus after he collapsed on stage during a show in Nashville on June 19.

June 20, 2020

• Despite coronavirus concerns about large crowds in indoor spaces for prolonged periods of time, President Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail with a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The fire department reports the venue was one-third full with 6,200 people attending the event. Six members of Trump's advance team, including two secret service agents test positive for coronavirus.

June 19, 2020

• The state allows nail salons, tattoo parlors, massage parlors, and body waxing to resume.


• Solano County allows personal care services like nail salons and tattoo parlors to reopen.


• San Mateo County allows nail salons and more to reopen.


• Sonoma County opens up nail salons and other personal care services.


• Napa County allows nail salons, tattoo parlors, estheticians, cosmetologists, masseuses, and ear piercing salons to resume business. It also allows indoor gyms and fitness studios to reopen.


• Alameda County allows outdoor restaurant dining to resume. It is the last Bay Area county to take this step. Also today in Alameda County, indoor and outdoor religious services, in-store shopping, outdoor museums, and outdoor fitness classes are allowed.


• Marin County allows people to form social bubbles, defined as "a stable group of 12 people or less who have collectively agreed to limit their in-person social activities to only each other for at least three weeks".


• Contra Costa County is now on a watch list with the California Department of Public Health because of increasing coronavirus hospitalizations.


• San Mateo County exceeds 100 reported deaths from coronavirus.


• There are more than 8.5 million coronavirus cases diagnosed worldwide.


• Brazil now has more than 1 million reported cases of coronavirus. Only the United States has more, currently in excess of 2.2 million cases.

June 18, 2020

• Governor Gavin Newsom requires masks or face coverings to be worn in public statewide. Every Bay Area county, except for Solano County, already had some form of a face covering requirement in place.


• San Francisco now has more than 3,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• Marin County releases updated guidance on how to safely reopen schools in the fall.

June 17, 2020

• The 50th death from coronavirus is reported in Contra Costa County.


• Hair salons and barbershops in Contra Costa County are allowed to reopen for business.


• Contra Costa County announces that nail salons and other personal care services that do not involve the face can reopen on July 1, along with dine-in restaurants, bars, gyms, museums, hotels, indoor religious services and more.


• San Mateo County allows a slew of businesses to open including indoor dining, gyms, hotels, museums and more. On Friday it will allow nail salons and personal care services to open, which matches the maximum allowed by the state. This comes one day after the county had its variance approved by the state, which allowed it to accelerate reopening plans.

June 16, 2020

• Contra Costa County exceeds 2,000 cases of coronavirus.


• Marin County supervisors vote in favor of requesting a variance from the state to advance reopening.


• San Francisco County supervisors vote unanimously to request a variance from the state to receive permission to advance reopening plans.


• San Mateo County receives state approval of its attestation for variance, which means that it can advance its reopening process. Only five counties in the state, four of them in the Bay Area, have not taken this step.


• Contra Costa County announces that indoor religious services can resume tomorrow, along with the reopening of hair salons and barbershops.


• Solano County announces that it will align with the new state guidelines on Friday, June 19 and allow nail salons and other personal care service businesses to reopen.


• The San Francisco Opera cancels its 2020 Fall season because of the pandemic. Performances are expected to resume in Spring 2021.


• Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that a drug can improve COVID-19 survival.

June 15, 2020

• Worldwide, Johns Hopkins University says the number of confirmed coronavirus cases exceeds 8 million.


• San Francisco moves into Phase 2B of reopening which allows for in-store shopping, outdoor fitness classes, indoor household services like cooks and cleaners, outdoor religious services, summer camps with up to 12 children, and outdoor gatherings of no more than 12 people. The city's rules also allow for professional sports games to resume as long as no spectators are present.


• The Oscars will be postponed for only the fourth time in history because of the coronavirus pandemic.


• 24 Hour Fitness files for bankruptcy and says it will permanently close more than 130 locations, with about 10 percent in the Bay Area.

June 14, 2020

• Coronavirus has claimed 500 lives in the Bay Area.

June 13, 2020

• More than 5,000 people have died in California because of coronavirus. There are also nearly 150,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.


• There are more than 2 million coronavirus cases in the United States.

June 12, 2020

• Statewide, movie theaters, restaurants, wineries, bars, zoos, museums, gyms, fitness centers, hotels, cardrooms, racetracks, and campgrounds are allowed to reopen. The state announces it will allow personal services, including nail salons, waxing, facials, and massages to resume, beginning June 19. Tattoo parlors and body piercing shops can also reopen. California will no longer limit the number of people who can attend an outdoor religious service; limits on indoor religious services remain at 25% of the building's capacity or 100 people, whichever is lower.


• San Francisco allows outdoor restaurant dining to resume, three days ahead of the original schedule.


• Alameda County announces that outdoor dining will be allowed beginning June 19. All other counties in the Bay Area already allow this. Alameda County will also permit religious services, indoor shopping, outdoor museums, and outdoor fitness classes.


• The Centers for Disease Control releases guidelines for events and gatherings like weddings, concerts and festivals.


• Santa Clara County has reached 150 coronavirus deaths.


• Solano County allows campgrounds, RV parks, racetracks, and day camps to reopen.


• Sonoma County reopens wineries and breweries. Previously, they were only allowed to open for tastings if they served food at the same time.


• San Mateo County's Board of Supervisors votes in favor of supporting an attestation to the state that the county is ready to advance. If approved, it would allow dine-in restaurants, hair salons, gyms, zoos, museums, hotels, campgrounds, and day camps to operate.

June 11, 2020

• The DMV is reopening all field offices statewide.


• Marin County allows limited indoor retail sales to resume. It also allows house cleaners to resume working, although no one can be home while they are cleaning.


• The City of Sunnyvale allows restaurants to open for outdoor dining. Santa Clara County gave the green light for this on June 5.

June 10, 2020

• The United States exceeds 2 million reported cases of coronavirus. Worldwide there are 7.4 million cases.


• Alameda County surpasses 4,000 coronavirus cases, the most of any Bay Area county.


• Sonoma County announces that wineries and breweries can open tasting rooms without having to serve food. Bars and pubs are not allowed to reopen. The new rules take effect on Friday, June 12.


• Santa Clara County will soon require any essential worker, anyone with coronavirus symptoms, and anyone exposed to a known coronavirus case to get tested. The requirement starts Monday, June 15.


• Disneyland announces plans to reopen on July 17, on the 65th anniversary of the park's original opening in Anaheim.


• Several members of the National Guard test positive for coronavirus after responding to protests in various cities following the death of George Floyd.

June 9, 2020

• Santa Clara County surpasses 3,000 cases of coronavirus. It has also recorded 146 deaths, the most of any Bay Area county.


• For the first time, a BART worker tests positive for coronavirus.


• Gyms in Solano County open for business, days before the state officially gives them the green light.


• San Francisco will allow outdoor restaurant dining beginning Friday, June 12. That's slightly earlier than the original date of June 15.

June 8, 2020

• Worldwide, there are more than 7 million reported cases of coronavirus and more than 400,000 reported deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.


• New Zealand reports that it has eradicated coronavirus because all current patients have recovered and no new cases have been diagnosed for more than two weeks. The island nation of 5 million people has reported about 1,500 total cases of coronavirus and 22 deaths. For comparison, the Bay Area is home to roughly 7 million people and so far has more than 15,000 diagnosed cases and over 460 reported deaths.


• Contra Costa County announces that hair salons and barbershops can reopen on June 17. Indoor dining, bars, churches, gyms, museums, and hotels can reopen on July 1.


• Solano County allows more businesses to reopen including gyms and fitness centers, wineries, bars and breweries, family entertainment centers, zoos and museums as well as hotels. Indoor restaurant dining is also allowed.


• Yosemite National Park announces it will reopen on June 11.


• 62 pages of guidelines to reopen California schools safely are released, including the removal of shared tables from cafeterias so that students eat lunch in classrooms.


• The state releases guidelines allowing indoor movie theaters to reopen. Theater capacity will be limited to 25% of the seating, among other restrictions.


• New York City begins to relax restrictions and allow reopening to begin.

June 7, 2020

• More than 110,000 people have now died of COVID-19 in the United States.

June 6, 2020

• Outdoor restaurant dining, curbside library pickup, and charter boat operations are allowed to resume in San Mateo County.

June 5, 2020

• The Bay Area now exceeds 15,000 cases of coronavirus.


• Alameda County has more than 100 coronavirus deaths reported.


• Alameda County announces it will relax restrictions effective June 8 to allow for library curbside pickup, childcare, appliance repair, pet grooming services, and small outdoor gatherings with people belonging to the same social bubble. A social bubble is defined as a group of no more than 12 people, but it is not restricted to only members of the same household. Churches and dine-in restaurants are still not allowed.


• Alameda County tightens up rules on face masks in public, making them mandatory at virtually all times when outside and within 30 feet of another person. This includes requirements to wear a mask when exercising, which had previously been exempt.


• Contra Costa County opens outdoor restaurant dining as part of newly relaxed restrictions. Outdoor swimming pools, dog parks, picnic tables, barbecues, and camp sites can also reopen. You can hold religious services outdoors with up to 100 people, and services indoors with a maximum of 12 people.


• Napa County allows casinos, card rooms, wineries, bars, tasting rooms, museums, campsites, and hotels to reopen. Entertainment centers like bowling, mini golf and batting cages can also reopen. Professional sports can resume without an audience.


• Santa Clara County allows outdoor dining and in-store shopping to resume, along with childcare and summer camps. It also opens up outdoor swimming pools and allows for outdoor recreational activities like tennis, frisbee, and golf with one other household. Outdoor ceremonies and religious gatherings with up to 25 people are permitted.


• Sonoma County allows church services, indoor retail shopping, indoor restaurant dining, and hair salons to reopen. Outdoor recreation and equipment rental can also resume.


• California will allow schools, bars, and gyms to begin resuming operations next week.

June 4, 2020

• Today is the 80th day since most of the Bay Area began to shelter in place.


• San Mateo County announces that it will allow outdoor dining for restaurants, curbside library pickup, and charter boats to operate beginning Saturday, June 6. It also relaxes limits on how many people can gather for funerals.

June 3, 2020

• Contra Costa County reopens indoor retail shopping, business offices, outdoor museums, and pet grooming. Childcare and children's summer camps can resume. Small outdoor social gatherings are permitted. Libraries can provide curbside pickup.


• Sonoma County allows visitors to drive to parks and trails. Picnic areas, barbeques, and campgrounds remain closed.

June 2, 2020

• Santa Cruz County's Board of Supervisors approve a plan to allow businesses and restaurants to use outdoor space for dining and shopping.


• USC will reopen for in-person classes this Fall. The semester will begin a week earlier than originally scheduled and will end by Thanksgiving in hopes of minimizing the virus as the flu season begins.

June 1, 2020

• There are more than 15,000 cases in the greater Bay Area, which includes the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Monterey, and San Benito.


• Marin County reports more than 500 cases of coronavirus.


• Marin County enters its fourth stage of phase two, which allows for outdoor retail, offices, and curbside library services. Parking lots reopen at county parks, beaches, and open space preserves.


• San Mateo County takes the next steps in phase two, allowing churches to reopen and shoppers to enter retail stores. Beach access limits are also lifted.


• San Francisco allows low-contact services and outdoor equipment rental to open for curbside pickup and dropoff. This includes services like dog grooming, shoe repair, and electronics repair.


• Los Angeles County advances into deep stage two, allowing restaurants and hair salons to reopen for limited in-person services.

May 30, 2020

• Parking lots and restrooms at Half Moon Bay beaches reopen. People are not allowed to lounge or sunbathe on the beach, but can run or walk on the sand, and can cross the beach to reach the ocean.


• Santa Cruz County receives state approval to move deeper into stage two, which allows dine-in restaurants and hair salons to reopen immediately, with modifications to allow for social distancing.


• Monterey County is approved to move deeper into stage two.

May 29, 2020

• Los Angeles county files paperwork with the state attesting that it is ready to move deeper into stage two.


• Major protests break out, including in San Jose and Oakland, over the recent police death of George Floyd.

May 28, 2020

• San Francisco lays out a detailed timeline for reopening restaurants, stores, and salons with phases. The timeline starts in June and goes into August.


• The Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival, scheduled for October, is canceled. So is Half Moon Bay's Ol' Fashioned Fourth of July Parade.


• The Boston Marathon is canceled for the first time in its 124-year history.

May 27, 2020

• The United States has recorded more than 100,000 coronavirus deaths. Worldwide, coronavirus has claimed at least 350,000 lives and has sickened more than 5.6 million people.


• Tulare County files paperwork with the state to advance its reopening process. Only 10 of California's 58 counties have not taken this step: Alameda, Contra Costa, Imperial, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz.


• Solano County allows hair salons and barbershops to reopen, following guidelines issued by the state yesterday. Shopping malls reopen.


• BART releases a 15-point plan to provide a safe environment for passengers. Ridership is still down 92%.

May 26, 2020

• Governor Gavin Newsom announces that the state is moving into stage three and allowing hair salons and barbershops to reopen. Nail salons may not reopen. Beauty services that involve touching the face, like shaving, waxing, threading, and facials, are not allowed. California's 47 counties that were already in deep phase two are allowed to move into phase three.


• Lassen County becomes the first in California to retract its attestation to advance reopening. Lassen County diagnosed its first coronavirus cases on May 22, after it had advanced reopening.


• Santa Cruz County announces its phase two shelter in place order will stay in effect until July 1. Churches can reopen and in-store shopping can resume under this order.


• The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange reopens for the first time since March.


• Six Flags announces new guidelines for reopening theme parks, but does not say when they expect to reopen.

May 25, 2020

• The state allows churches to reopen and all stores to reopen for in-person shopping. There are restrictions for both activities. Churches may only operate at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. The sharing of any items like prayer books or rugs is discouraged, as is group singing, to reduce the risk of transmission.


• 11 counties, out of California's 58, have not filed paperwork with the state to move deeper into phase 2. More than half are in the Bay Area.


• Many Memorial Day commemoration events are canceled because of the pandemic.

May 24, 2020

• Several Republican groups file a lawsuit over Governor Gavin Newsom's executive order to send mail-in ballots to all voters for the November election. Newsom announced the mail-voting expansion earlier this month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 23, 2020

• On Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of protesters gathered today outside the capitol in Sacramento to protest the governor's stay at home order.

May 22, 2020

• Santa Clara county begins phase 2 of relaxing restrictions. It is the last Bay Area county to begin this step.


• Masks or facial coverings in public are now required in Santa Clara County.


• Sonoma County moves deeper into phase two with some permissions that aren't available in other counties. Libraries can provide curbside pickup. Restaurant dining is allowed at outdoor tables only. You can also dine at wineries, breweries, and bars as long as you're outside. Sonoma is the third Bay Area county to advance into stage two. 45 of California's 58 counties have received approval to move further into stage two.


• Sonoma County, Marin County, and San Francisco announce that summer camps for kids can reopen.

May 21, 2020

• More than 5 million coronavirus cases have been diagnosed worldwide.


• Solano County becomes the second Bay Area county to receive state approval to move further into stage 2, which means dine-in restaurants, shopping malls, and stores can reopen with social distancing requirements. The City of Vacaville announces summer camps and other parks and recreation programs will likely begin on June 15. 43 of California's 58 counties have filed the paperwork to move deeper into stage 2.


• More than 2.4 million Americans filed for unemployment for the first time in the past week. Total unemployment filings are now at 38.6 million in the nine weeks since the virus hit the economy.

May 20, 2020

• Today sets a new record for new coronavirus cases in one day. The World Health Organization reports 106,000 new cases in the past 24 hours. The total number of cases worldwideis approaching 5 million, including 1.5 million in the United States.


• All 50 states are now relaxing restrictions and reopening in some form.


• 33 of California's 58 counties have been approved to move deeper into phase two, a process that's formally known as an attestation for regional variance.


• San Mateo County allows child care facilities to reopen for everyone, not just the children of essential workers. There are strict requirements to ensure everyone's safety, including stable groups of no more than 12 children.

May 19, 2020

• The Bay Area surpasses 400 coronavirus deaths.


• Napa County becomes the first in the Bay Area to receive state permission to open dine-in restaurants, retail stores, and shopping malls to reopen. Wine tasting and vineyards are not allowed to reopen.


• Alameda and Contra Costa Counties move into phase two.

May 18, 2020

• Santa Clara County announces it will move into phase two on Friday, May 22. It is the last Bay Area county to begin to relax restrictions.


• Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties begin phase two.


• While in Napa County, Governor Gavin Newsom announces modifications to the state's stay at home order that will allow almost every county to move faster into phase two. Sporting events, without spectators, may resume in the beginning of June. Church services and salons are still weeks away from opening.


• The United States has more than 1.5 million cases of coronavirus and has reported more than 90,000 deaths.

May 17, 2020

• Specialty's Cafe & Bakery, based in Pleasanton, is closing all 50 of its locations after 33 years in business. The company says the pandemic and shelter in place orders have decimated revenues.

May 16, 2020

• UC Berkeley holds a virtual commencement for the Class of 2020 in the online video game world of Minecraft.

May 15, 2020

• The House passes Democrats' new $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill, despite Republican opposition. The bill now heads to the Senate where it is unlikely to pass.


• JC Penney files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.


• The USNS Mercy leaves Los Angeles because it is no longer needed. The hospital ship arrived in March in case of a surge in hospital demand due to the pandemic.


• Contra Costa County announces it will permit drive-through and drive-in gatherings for events like church services and graduation ceremonies, starting Monday, May 18.


• Starting today, parking around Oakland's Lake Merritt will be blocked off on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to reduce crowding. Food trucks are also banned on weekends.


• San Jose will bring back the downtown farmers market on June 5, with social distancing protocols in place.

May 14, 2020

• Marin County reveals plans to advance to phase two on Monday, May 18, along with San Francisco and San Mateo counties.


• Governor Gavin Newsom releases his revised May budget. California is facing a projected deficit of $54.3 billion.


• For the first time in 20 years, AAA is not releasing a traffic and travel forecast for Memorial Day.


• For the first time in 83 years, organizers of San Francisco's Stern Grove Festival have canceled the annual music event.


• Nearly 3 million more Americans filed for unemployment in the past week, bringing the total in the two months since the pandemic began to roughly 36 million. Economists forecast that the official unemployment rate could hit 18% or higher in May. In California, more than 21% of the state's workforce is unemployed. 4.2 million Californians have lost their jobs over the past 8 weeks.

May 13, 2020

• San Mateo County and San Francisco each announce plans to move into phase two on Monday, May 18, which means some shelter in place restrictions will be lifted.


• 18 counties in California are approved to move deeper into phase two. If a county wants to open schools, dine-in restaurants or shopping malls, they have to go through an attestation process, in which they certify the spread of COVID-19 is under control locally.


• Tesla and Alameda County reach a deal to allow the plant to reopen.

May 12, 2020

• California has conducted more than 1 million coronavirus tests. 69,382 have come back positive.


• Governor Gavin Newsom releases details about what is required for restaurants to resume dine-in service and for shopping malls and offices to reopen. This is still part of California's stage two of relaxing shelter in place restrictions.


• California State University announces almost all of its classes will be held remotely in the fall with virtually no in-person instruction.


• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveils a more than $3 trillion coronavirus aid package, providing nearly $1 trillion for states and cities, "hazard pay" for essential workers and a new round of cash payments to individuals.


• Testifying remotely before the Senate Health, Labor and Pensions Committee, White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that "the consequences could be really serious" if cities and states reopen the U.S. economy too quickly with the coronavirus still spreading.


• Los Angeles County officials are recommending that the stay-at-home order be extended three more months, until August, as the region continues efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

May 11, 2020

• The total number of coronavirus cases in the Bay Area tops 10,000.


• Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the Fremont plant is reopening, in violation of Alameda County's public health order.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces the leaders of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado have signed a joint letter requesting $1 trillion in federal aid.


• Coronavirus has claimed more than 80,000 lives in the U.S.


• AP exams are administered online to students at home for the first time ever.

May 10, 2020

• There are more than 4 million coronavirus cases worldwide.

May 9, 2020

• Mendocino County moves into phase two.


• White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci announces he will begin a modified two week quarantine after being in contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for coronavirus. Both CDC Director Robert Redfield and FDA Director Stephen Hahn will self-quarantine for two weeks and telework from home.

May 8, 2020

• California enters stage two which relaxes some of the shelter in place restrictions. Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Santa Cruz are the only Bay Area counties to match the state's move. Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties remain with stricter restrictions than the state.


• Contra Costa County has more than 1,000 cases of coronavirus.


• Governor Gavin Newsom signs an executive order to send every registered voter in California a vote-by-mail ballot for the November election.


• The U.S. unemployment rate in April of 14.7% is its highest point since the Great Depression.


• Delta Airlines announces it will suspend service at Oakland International Airport from May 11 through September because of the low number of air travelers during the pandemic. Delta will continue to serve San Francisco International Airport and Mineta San Jose International Airport.


• Roy Horn, of Siegfried and Roy, dies of coronavirus. He was 75.


• Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller, tests positive for coronavirus. Her husband, Stephen Miller, is a Senior White House Advisor.

May 7, 2020

• Governor Gavin Newsom lays out details of the reopening that will occur tomorrow when the state moves into stage two of its shelter in place restrictions, which will allow some retail stores to open for curbside pickup. In the Bay Area, only Napa and Solano Counties plan to follow the state rules; all other Bay Area counties say they're not ready.


• Napa County announces it will require people to wear masks in public beginning Saturday, May 9.


• The DMV will reopen 25 offices across the state tomorrow to help customers with appointments and transactions requiring an in-person visit.


• 3.2 million Americans filed for unemployment in the past week. More than 33 million unemployment claims have been filed nationwide since the pandemic began.


• Neiman Marcus files for bankruptcy.


• For the first time in 108 years, the Alameda County Fair will not be held this year.


• President Trump's personal valet tests positive for coronavirus.

May 6, 2020

• Only Napa and Solano Counties say they plan to match California's move to Stage 2 of the shelter in place restrictions, scheduled to take effect on Friday.

May 4, 2020

• Worldwide, coronavirus is reported to have killed more than 250,000 people.


• Revised shelter in place rules take effect in six of the Bay Area's nine counties allowing businesses like car washes and gardening stores to reopen. The rules are scheduled to remain in effect through May 31.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces that California will begin Phase 2 of lifting its shelter in place restrictions by the end of the week, on May 8.


• Yuba and Sutter Counties defy the state order and allow businesses to reopen today, with additional restrictions and safety measures in place.


• A lawsuit is filed to reopen the beaches in Orange County. Governor Gavin Newsom ordered them closed last week because of large crowds.


• Ghost Ship warehouse fire defendant Derick Almena is released from the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, on bail. He's awaiting a new trial on 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter, for the 36 people who died in the fire Oakland in 2016. His release is tied to judicial emergency orders intended to stop the spread of coronavirus in jails.


• Finalists for the James Beard Awards are announced today following a six week delay. The nominees include 17 Bay Area mentions.

May 1, 2020

• A May Day protest takes place outside the State Capitol with thousands of people, many without masks, demanding an end to the shelter in place restrictions.


• Coronavirus has caused more than 300 deaths in the Bay Area's nine counties and Santa Cruz County.


• There are more than 2,000 coronavirus deaths in the state of California.


• California has reported more than 50,000 coronavirus cases.


• Solano County revises and extends its shelter in place order to May 17.


• Sonoma County announces changes to its shelter in place order. The new order takes effect on May 4 and has no end date.


• Santa Cruz County begins to close beaches between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily to discourage visitors. People are still allowed to cross the beach to go swimming and surfing.


• Modoc County, which sits on the north border of California, goes against the state's restrictions and allows some businesses to reopen.


• More than 1 million people have recovered from coronavirus worldwide.


• Foster City-based Gilead Sciences has been granted emergency approval for use of its drug remdesivir. It's the first drug shown to help fight coronavirus symptoms.

April 30, 2020

• Gov. Gavin Newsom orders all beaches in Orange County to close following crowding last weekend.


• Santa Cruz County extends its shelter in place order indefinitely, but relaxes some restrictions.


• A potential coronavirus vaccine has entered pre-clinical testing at UC Davis.


• Starting today, Monterey County requires people to wear a mask or face covering in public.


• 3.8 million more Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the past week, bringing the six week total to 30 million.


• The USNS Comfort hospital ship leaves New York City after treating only 182 patients.


• NASCAR will resume its season, without fans, on May 17.

April 29, 2020

• Six Bay Area counties agree to modify shelter-in-place restrictions beginning on May 4. The new rules will allow construction to resume. Outdoor businesses can reopen, along with some childcare facilities and outdoor recreation areas. The current restrictions in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara are set to expire on May 3.


• The total number of coronavirus cases in the Bay Area's nine counties and Santa Cruz County top 8,000.


• There are more than 60,000 coronavirus deaths across the United States.

April 28, 2020

• The USA now has more than 1 million cases of coronavirus.


• Governor Gavin Newsom lays out a four stage plan of lifting restrictions in California and reopening businesses, with changes spread out over weeks and months. California's public schools could start the next academic year as early as July or August.


• Sonoma County relaxes restrictions and allows people to walk or bike to parks. Parking lots, picnic tables, and restrooms remain closed.


• El Dorado County will allow its shelter in place order to expire on April 30.


• Today is the first day that gig workers, independent contractors, and the self-employed can apply for unemployment insurance payments through California's Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program.

April 27, 2020

• The six Bay Area counties who originally coordinated to implement shelter-in-place restrictions announce a plan to extend restrictions through May. This affects Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. The original shelter in place orders were scheduled to expire on May 3. Sonoma County's order is still set to expire on May 3. Solano County recently extended its order to May 17. Napa County's order has no expiration date.


• Alameda County surpasses 1,500 cases of coronavirus.


• There are more than 3 million coronavirus cases worldwide.

April 26, 2020

• Santa Clara County reports its 100th death from coronavirus. It has more cases and deaths than any other Bay Area county.


• More than 5 million coronavirus tests have been administered in the United States.

April 25, 2020

• The number of coronavirus deaths worldwide exceeds 200,000.


• There are more than 50 coronavirus deaths in Alameda County.


• 25 people in Contra Costa County have died from coronavirus.


• The number of cases of coronavirus in San Mateo County passes 1,000.


• In a sign of quarantine fatigue, crowds of people swarm beaches and parks, despite the stay at home orders.

April 24, 2020

• More than 250 people in the Bay Area have died from coronavirus.


• 10 coronavirus related deaths are reported at the Gordon Manor Residential Care Home in Redwood City. Former Stanford president Donald Kennedy is among the victims.


• Santa Clara County surpasses 2,000 known coronavirus cases. This number includes patients who have recovered. Only 176 people are currently hospitalized.


• Solano County extends its stay at home order to May 17.


• At a press conference, San Francisco Mayor London Breed says its likely the city's stay at home order will be extended. It's currently in effect through May 3.


• Caltrans begins the deck replacement project at the Alemany Interchange on Highway 101 in San Francisco. It had been scheduled for July, but with so few people driving during the pandemic, Caltrans accelerated the job.


• President Trump signs $484 billion coronavirus relief package into law.


• The number of coronavirus deaths in the United States has topped 50,000.


• The Navy's top Admiral is recommending the reinstatement of Captain Brett Crozier, a Santa Rosa native, who was relieved of command after he asked for more protection against coronavirus for his crew aboard the U.S.S Theodore Roosevelt. 856 crew members, and Crozier, have tested positive for coronavirus.


• States including Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia modify or lift stay at home orders.

April 23, 2020

• This is the deadliest day for coronavirus so far in California with 115 deaths reported. A total of 1,419 Californians have died from coronavirus and there are 37,339 confirmed cases.


• UCSF epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford estimates 34,000 - 44,000 lives would have been lost had the Bay Area done nothing to confront the coronavirus pandemic.


• Most of California's largest student loan servicers have agreed to postpone collection for the next 90 days. Interest will not accrue.


• Governor Gavin Newsom signs an executive order preventing debt collectors from garnishing the money Californians receive in their federal stimulus checks.


• More than 4.4 million Americans filed for unemployment insurance in the past week, bringing the 5-week total to roughly 26 million. Economists forecast the unemployment rate for April could go as high as 20 percent.

April 22, 2020

• Enforcement begins in the six Bay Area counties - Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo and San Francisco - that are requiring people to wear a mask or face covering in public.


• Napa County relaxes some restrictions associated with its stay-at-home order, allowing construction work, landscaping, gardening, drive-in religious services, and real estate showings to resume as long as people maintain physical distance. Golf courses are allowed to reopen under similar restrictions.


• The County of Santa Clara Medical Examiner-Coroner has identified three individuals who died from COVID-19 before March 9, which was originally thought to be the date of the county's first coronavirus death. This predates the original report of the first coronavirus deaths in the United States, which were recorded on February 26 in the state of Washington.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announced a modest step toward normalcy: starting to schedule essential surgeries once again. The change is being done in coordination with Washington and Oregon and is effective immediately, he said.

April 21, 2020

• There are now 200 coronavirus cases in Marin County.


• Worldwide there are more than 2.5 million cases of coronavirus.


• This year's Running of the Bulls in Spain has been canceled.


• Oktoberfest in Munich will not take place this year.


• Britain's Queen Elizabeth II marked her 94th birthday without the typical fanfare. The monarch decided that the celebratory display would not be appropriate during the pandemic.


• The U.S. Senate approved a $484 billion coronavirus aid bill. The money will fund small businesses, hospitals, and coronavirus tests.


• President Trump announces a 60 day pause on issuing green cards.

April 20, 2020

• Contra Costa County surpasses 20 deaths.


• There are more than 100 coronavirus cases in Santa Cruz County.


• The traditional 4/20 gathering at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park does not take place due to the shelter in place rules.


• Protesters drive to the State Capitol in Sacramento to show their opposition to the state's shelter in place rules. Similar protests take place in cities across the country.


• Georgia announces that most restrictions will be lifted on Friday.


• In South Carolina, the governor announces that businesses and beaches will begin to reopen.


• Tennessee's governor will let the current stay at home order expire on May 1.


• New York state reports fewer than 500 deaths for the first day since March 31.


• Oil prices sink to negative $37.63 per barrel.


• Paper stimulus checks are in the mail, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

April 19, 2020

• The number of people who have died from coronavirus in the Bay Area exceeds 200.


• The first California prison inmate dies of coronavirus.


• Americans frustrated by stay at home orders stage public protests in multiple states for the second day in a row.

April 18, 2020

• Face covering requirements in six Bay Area counties take effect in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo and San Francisco.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces that California has secured more than 10,000 rooms statewide to house the homeless during the pandemic.


• Protests against stay at home orders take place in several states.


• Beaches in Jacksonville, Florida reopen to the public.

April 17, 2020

• Coronavirus has claimed more than 150,000 lives worldwide.


• California has more than 1,000 coronavirus deaths. Roughly half are in Los Angeles County.


• Coronavirus has claimed 20 lives in San Francisco.


• There are 40 coronavirus deaths in Alameda County.


• San Francisco, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County, Sonoma and San Mateo County announce that masks or face coverings will be required when people are in public.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces the creation of the Governor's Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery. Members include four former governors as well as 80 businessleaders. It's co-chaired by Bay Area philanthropist and former Democratic Presidential candidate Tom Steyer.


• California's March unemployment rate jumps to 5.3% from 3.9% in February. It's the largest increase on record going back to 1976.


• The President has approved a major disaster declaration for all U.S. states and territories, which has never happened before.


• Wuhan, China has added 1,290 people to its coronavirus death toll, increasing the total by nearly 50%. Authorities admitted the healthcare system was overloaded and a lot of deaths were not counted.

April 16, 2020

• The number of coronavirus cases in Alameda County surpasses 1,000.


• Fremont requires people to wear a mask or face covering when in public.


• The San Jose Jazz Summer Fest is canceled for 2020.


• Governor Newsom announces an executive order to provide two weeks of paid sick leave for food service workers.


• President Trump unveils a 3-phase approach to lifting restrictions and resuming economic activity.


• 5.2 million additional Americans filed for unemployment last week, bringing the monthly total to roughly 22 million.

April 15, 2020

• There are more than 2 million coronavirus cases worldwide.


• The number of coronavirus cases in the United States tops 600,000.


• San Francisco surpasses 1,000 cases of coronavirus.


• Monterey County hits 100 coronavirus cases.


• Federal taxes are not due today. The deadline has been extended to July 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces new initiatives to help unemployed Californians, including $125 million in assistance for undocumented immigrants. The governor also signed an executive order creating the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program which will give more unemployed workers access to unemployment insurance payments. PUA benefits will apply to self-employed workers, independent contractors, those whose wage history isn't long enough to qualify for unemployment, and those who have exhausted unemployment benefits.
  New York Governor Andrew Cuomo orders all New Yorkers to wear face coverings in public when they can't maintain proper social distance.


• President Trump kicked off his White House briefing, in the Rose Garden, by proclaiming: "the data suggest that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases."


• The roughly $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program, set up to help rescue small businesses with federally-backed forgivable loans, is expected to run out of funds tonight.

April 14, 2020

• Today Governor Gavin Newsom laid out a 6-point framework of what it will take to begin gradually lifting the state's shelter in place restrictions, but did not indicate how long this would take.


• President Trump announced that his administration is halting funding to the World Health Organization, accusing it of failing to do enough to stop the virus from spreading when it surfaced in China.


• The International Monetary Fund says the world economy will suffer its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

April 13, 2020

• Gov. Gavin Newsom announces that a gradual plan to lift shelter in place orders in California will be revealed tomorrow, in a coordinated effort with the governors of Oregon and Washington state.


• California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is ordering insurance companies to return premiums to customers and businesses affected by the pandemic and shelter in place orders.


• Some of the federal stimulus checks start arriving in bank accounts via direct deposit.


• Wyoming reports its first coronavirus death, becoming the 50th U.S. state to report a fatality.


• ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos has tested positive for coronavirus, but says his symptoms are mild. His wife also has the disease.


• Spain announces some workers in construction and factory jobs will be allowed to return to work.


• France extends lockdown measures to May 11.

April 12, 2020

• The Bay Area - nine counties plus Santa Cruz County - surpass 5,000 cases of coronavirus.


• New York state has more coronavirus cases than any country.


• The number of deaths in New York state surpasses 10,000.


• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves the hospital where he's been receiving treatment for coronavirus.

April 11, 2020

• There are more than 50 coronavirus deaths in Santa Clara County.


• Alameda County has more than 800 coronavirus cases.


• In the greater Bay Area there are more than 5,000 coronavirus cases. This includes the nine Bay Area counties, plus Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, Mendocino County, and Lake County.


• The United States now has the most reported coronavirus deaths in the world, with more than 20,000.


• With the approval of a disaster declaration for Wyoming, President Trump has now declared a disaster exists in all 50 states. The White House points out this this is the first time in U.S. history that a president has declared that a major disaster exists in all 50 states at once.

April 10, 2020

• Worldwide, more than 100,000 people have died from coronavirus.


• There are more than 500,000 cases of coronavirus in the United States.


• Contra Costa County surpasses 500 cases of coronavirus.


• A coronavirus outbreak at San Francisco's largest homeless shelter, MSC South on 5th Street, leaves 68 residents and two staff sick.


• Oakland announces it will close 74 miles of city streets to cars to allow more space for people to practice social distancing while walking, running, and biking.


• The American Heart Association says coronavirus appears to be the ninth leading cause of death in the United States.


• Burning Man, scheduled for late August in the Nevada desert, is canceled.


• Los Angeles requires both workers and customers at essential businesses to wear masks. Businesses can refuse service to customers who do not have a face covering.


• Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris livestreams a Good Friday service, its first since last year's fire.

April 9, 2020

• The death toll from coronavirus in California tops 500.


• New York state reports its deadliest day with 799 lives lost.


• The Mesa, Arizona grandmother, Wanda Dench, who mistakenly invited teenager Jamal Hinton to Thanksgiving back in 2016, lost her husband Lonnie to coronavirus. Wanda has tested positive for coronavirus.


• Nationwide, 6,606,000 people applied for unemployment in one week. This is just shy of the record set last week. This means more than 17 million people have applied for unemployment in three weeks.


• In California, more unemployment claims have been processed in the last month than in all of last year. Californians receiving unemployment benefits will see an extra $600 in their checks starting Sunday, thanks to the federal stimulus package.


• Spain's prime minister says it has reached its peak of coronavirus cases.
• 
  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is moved out of intensive care, but remains hospitalized to receive treatment for coronavirus.

April 8, 2020

• The number of coronavirus cases worldwide tops 1.5 million.


• There are more than 400,000 cases of coronavirus in the United States.


• Solano County surpassed 100 cases today, reporting 112 total.


• San Francisco reports its tenth death from coronavirus.


• Six patients at the Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hayward die of coronavirus. They are among 59 people, made up of 35 patients and 24 staff, who tested positive.


• At midnight, beaches in Santa Cruz County will be closed for one week to keep people away during Easter weekend and Spring Break. Violators risk a $1,000 fine.


• The Grand Princess cruise ship departs San Francisco, sailing into the Pacific Ocean, with an unreported destination. Passengers from the February 21 cruise file a class-action lawsuit in San Francisco Federal Court against Carnival and Princess Cruises claiming the company knew the ship carried the coronavirus and still let passengers on board. A passenger from a cruise that departed San Francisco on February 11 later became California's first coronavirus fatality.


• JetBlue announces it will suspend all flights out of Mineta San Jose International Airport and will consolidate operations at San Francisco International Airport, due to drastic reductions in the number of airplane passengers. JetBlue is suspending service at seven other airports nationwide.


• Amidst the pandemic, Bernie Sanders drops out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, leaving Joe Biden as the presumptive nominee. In a video message to supporters, Sanders says, "I could not in good conscience continue to mount a campaign that cannot win and which would interfere with the important work required by all of us in this difficult hour,"

April 7, 2020

• The number of cases in the Bay Area exceeds 4,000.


• The number of deaths in the Bay Area tops 100, reaching 110 total.


• Marin County reports its tenth death.


• Six Bay Area counties formally announce that in-person classes will not resume for the rest of the school year.


• VTA announces that light rail service will resume on April 9, weeks after a trainee tested positive for coronavirus.


• The Grand Princess cruise ship returns to dock at Pier 35 in San Francisco to get supplies. More than 650 crewmembers remain on board.


• New York City's death toll from coronavirus has eclipsed the number of those killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Health officials say more than 3,200 people have been killed in the city thus far. That's about 450 more than were killed in the city in 2001 when hijacked planes slammed into the World Trade Center.


• Japan declares a state of emergency.


• The death toll in France tops 10,000. Starting tomorrow, Paris will ban all outdoor sports between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.


• Outbound travel restrictions in Wuhan, China, where coronavirus originated, are lifted. The airport reopens for the first time in 76 days. The city was locked down on January 23.

April 6, 2020

• The number of coronavirus cases in California tops 16,000.


• California lends 500 ventilators to the national stockpile to be used where the need is currently greatest.


• BART makes additional service reductions; trains will run once every 30 minutes.


• MUNI begins to reduce service from 68 bus routes to just 17.


• An inmate of a New York City jail is the first detained person in the city to die of the coronavirus, according to the New York City Department of Corrections.


• There are more than 10,000 coronavirus deaths reported in the United States.


• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is admitted to the ICU for treatment of coronavirus.

April 5, 2020

• Lake County announces its first case of coronavirus.The patient had been exposed while on the job outside of the county.


• Alameda County surpasses 500 cases of coronavirus.


• There are more than 90 coronavirus deaths in the Bay Area.


• The Grand Princess cruise ship sails out of the San Francisco Bay, after being anchored for three weeks. The ship has future plans to briefly dock at the Port of San Francisco to take on supplies.


• Navy Captain Brett Crozier, originally from Santa Rosa, has tested positive for coronavirus. Crozier was relieved of command on April 2 after he sent a letter to his superiors detailing an outbreak aboard the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt. There are 155 confirmed cases of the virus among sailors on the aircraft carrier.


• A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City tests positive for coronavirus.


• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is admitted to the hospital; he previously announced he had been diagnosed with coronavirus.


• Queen Elizabeth gave a rare televised speech, the fifth in her 68-year reign, with words reminiscent of World War II. The Queen told people, "I hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge, and those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any."

April 4, 2020

• Sonoma County exceeds 100 cases of coronavirus.


• San Francisco and San Mateo each exceed 500 cases of coronavirus.


• The first inmate at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin tests positive for coronavirus.


• Crew members who remain on board the Grand Princess cruise ship, docked in the San Francisco Bay, complete their quarantine, which means the ship receives permission to resume sailing.


• Governor Gavin Newsom announces the creation of a Coronavirus Task Force in partnership with UC Davis and UC San Diego to improve the state's testing capacity.


• Gov. Newsom says he does not anticipate the NFL season will start in August and will defer to health experts as to when they can resume.

April 3, 2020

• The total number of coronavirus cases in the Bay Area passes 3,000.


• There are more than 80 deaths from coronavirus in the Bay Area.


• 27 people, including three staff members, at a senior housing facility called The Orinda Care Center test positive for coronavirus.


• There are more than 100 coronavirus cases in Sonoma County.


• Contra Costa County has recorded its fifth coronavirus death.


• A crew member from the Grand Princess cruise ship, still docked in the San Francisco Bay, has died of coronavirus. The person passed away in a San Francisco hospital after being transferred off the ship in March. Hundreds of crew workers remain on the ship; their quarantine ends tomorrow.


• California's state legislature will not reconvene as scheduled on April 13. Members recessed on March 16 shortly after approving a $1 billion spending package to address the outbreak.


• The U.S. Supreme Court postpones April arguments because of the pandemic, extending an already historic delay of major legal cases.


• The CDC and White House Coronavirus Task Force now recommend Americans wear a face covering when in public, especially when it is hard to maintain social distancing. Face masks are not required and medical grade masks, like N95, should be reserved for medical professionals.. Homemade coverings, including those made of fabric, are all acceptable if they cover your nose and mouth completely and do not require adjustments; do not wear something that makes you touch your face more often.


• The U.S. unemployment rate jumped from 3.5 to 4.4 percent in March.


• It's estimated the coronavirus pandemic will cost the global economy as much as $4.1 trillion, or nearly 5% of all economic activity.


• Mexican brewing company Grupo Modelo will stop brewing Corona and other beers, following a health emergency declaration in Mexico that orders the temporary suspension of non-essential products.

April 2, 2020

• Worldwide, the number of coronavirus cases passes 1 million. There have been more than 50,000 deaths.


• A record-shattering 6.6 million unemployment claims were filed nationwide in the past week, on top of an unprecedented 3.3 million the week before.


• More than 1.9 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits since March 12, an average of more than 111,000 claims per day over the last week.


• There are more than 10,000 coronavirus cases in California.


• Santa Clara County surpasses 1,000 cases of coronavirus.


• Solano County reports its first coronavirus death. At this point, every Bay Area county has reported at least one death.


• There are at least 200 coronavirus deaths in California, including 73 in the Bay Area.


• The Federal Emergency Management Agency asked the Pentagon for 100,000 body bags because of the possibility funeral homes will be overwhelmed.


• The California Department of Public Health and many Bay Area health agencies recommend people wear masks when in public.


• The Democratic National Convention, scheduled for July in Milwaukee, is postponed to August.


• President Trump says he has tested negative a second time for coronavirus.

April 1, 2020

• There are more than 9,500 coronavirus cases in California, with roughly a third in the Bay Area.


• The University of California will temporarily suspend SAT and letter grade requirements for students applying to its campuses for the Fall 2020 semester.


• Governor Newsom officially announced that public schools will be closed for the rest of the academic year.


• The United States has more than 200,000 cases of coronavirus.


• The number of coronavirus cases worldwide tops 900,000.


• Spain's death toll becomes the second-highest in the world, after Italy.


• France surpasses China's official death toll.


• Wimbledon is canceled for the first time since World War II.

March 31, 2020

• The stay at home orders for most of the Bay Area will be extended to May 3. This affects Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. Starting at midnight on April 1, the rules will become more restrictive and will ban most commercial and residential construction, the use of playgrounds and dog parks, as well as shared recreational facilities like golf courses, tennis courts, and pools. Essential businesses that continue to operate must implement a social distancing protocol.


• Napa County announces its first death, Santa Rosa Police Detective Marylou Armer.


• Santa Clara County has now announced 30 deaths.


• California announces 150 coronavirus deaths.


• In a letter to school leaders, California's State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond writes, "Due to the current safety concerns and needs for ongoing social distancing it currently appears that our students will not be able to return to school campuses before the end of the school year."


• The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus has climbed past 3,500, eclipsing China's official count.


• The White House is projecting 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus pandemic if current social distancing guidelines are maintained.


• Globally diagnosed cases of coronavirus pass the 800,000 mark.

March 30, 2020

• The number of coronavirus cases in the Bay Area tops 2,000. There are more than 7,000 cases in California.


• The number of coronavirus deaths in the Bay Area surpasses 50.


• The shelter in place orders affecting most of the Bay Area will soon be extended to May 1.


• Instacart workers go on strike demanding the San Francisco based company provide hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, hazard pay of $5 per order, and an expanded sick pay policy.


• Macy's, Kohl's, and Gap furlough most employees.


• The USNS Comfort hospital ship arrives in New York city.


• The first U.S. military service member dies of coronavirus, a New Jersey National Guardsman who had been hospitalized since March 21.


• EasyJet has grounded its entire fleet of aircraft due to the coronavirus pandemic.


• The number of diagnosed cases in Italy passed the 100,000 mark, second to the U.S. In Spain, the number of cases now exceed China's.


• The opening ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo has been rescheduled for July 23, 2021. The closing ceremony will now be held on Aug. 8, 2021.


• Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia order city-wide quarantines.

March 29, 2020

• California's total number of coronavirus cases passes 5,000.


• Santa Cruz County reports its first death.


• Alameda County reaches seven total deaths.


• Contra Costa County reports three total deaths.


• All California state parks close.


• The hospital ship USNS Mercy, docked near Los Angeles, accepts its first patients on board.


• Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of President Trump's coronavirus task force, said it is possible that 100,000 to 200,000 people in the U.S. will die from the coronavirus.


• President Trump extends the nation's social distancing guidelines to April 30.


• Country singer Joe Diffie, who had a string of hits in the 1990s with chart-topping ballads and honky-tonk singles like "Home" and "Pickup Man," has died after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 61.

March 28, 2020

• California's coronavirus death toll tops 100.


• San Francisco reports its fourth death.


• Santa Clara County reports an additional five deaths, bringing its total to 25.


• A child less than one year old in Illinois becomes the first infant to die of coronavirus.

March 27, 2020

• Marin County reports its first death. The patient was a man in his 70s who had been a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship for a voyage that traveled from San Francisco to Mexico between February 11 and 21.


• San Francisco reports its third death.


• There are now six coronavirus deaths in San Mateo County.


• Santa Clara County reports its 20th death.


• East Bay Regional Parks close more park features and parking lots to encourage people to stay home and shelter in place.


• Disneyland and Disney World will remain closed indefinitely.


• President Trump signed a $2.2 trillion economic rescue package, after the House and Senate respectively passed it.Under the plan, many single Americans would receive $1,200, married couples would get $2,400 and parents would see $500 for each child.


• The United States has become the first country to exceed 100,000 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus.


• Governor Gavin Newsom issues a statewide moratorium on the eviction of renters.


• The USNS Mercy, a Navy hospital ship, arrives in Los Angeles and will begin taking non-coronavirus patients on Saturday to relieve the burden on medical facilities.


• Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warns that, by early next week, LA County could surpass the number of cases in New York.


• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has contracted coronavirus.

March 26, 2020

• San Francisco reports its second death.


• Alameda County now has four coronavirus deaths.


• Santa Clara County reports its 18th and 19th coronavirus deaths.


• Two passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship die. Both were men in their 60s and had been housed at Travis Air Force Base.


• The number of coronavirus cases in California passes 3,000.


• There are more than half a million coronavirus cases worldwide.


• The U.S. now has the most coronavirus cases in the world. With 82,404, it has surpassed Italy and China.


• VTA suspends light rail service after a trainee employee tests positive.


• SFMTA announces that Muni metro and light rail service will be suspended starting Mar. 30.


• REAL ID deadline is delayed one year to October 20, 2021.


• 3,283,000 people applied for unemployment in one week, the largest number ever documented by the weekly jobless claims report by the Labor Department.


• China temporarily bans most foreigners from entering the country.


• For the first time since 1946, the Indy 500 will not run on Memorial Day Weekend.

March 25, 2020

• Most Bay Area schools extend closures through May 1. This includes schools in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa Clara counties. Schools have been closed since March 16.


• Santa Clara reports its 17th coronavirus death.


• San Mateo county now has five coronavirus deaths.


• It's announced that Prince Charles has coronavirus.


• The Senate passes the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus plan, called the CARES Act. The House will vote on the plan Friday.


• Gov. Gavin Newsom announces financial help for Californians, including a 90-day waiver of mortgage payments by Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and roughly 200 smaller banks and credit unions. Bank of America has agreed to a 30-day waiver. For the next 60 days, there is a moratorium on initiating foreclosure sales or evictions.


• The COVID-19 death toll in Spain has now reached 3,434, which is higher than the number of fatalities in China.


• More than half of the states in the U.S. have issued shelter in place orders, 27 total.

March 24, 2020

• The Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to open on July 24, are postponed to 2021.


• Alameda County reports its second death.


• San Francisco reports its first death, a man in his 40s with significant, underlying health conditions.


• The number of coronavirus cases in the Bay Area passes 1,000. Statewide, there are more than 2,000 cases.


• A teenager in Los Angeles County becomes the first minor in California to die of coronavirus. (This cause of death is later revisited when Los Angeles county officials say they are no longer sure if coronavirus killed the 17-year-old boy.)


• China has announced it will lift lockdown measures in Wuhan on April 8. Diagnosed cases worldwide have topped 380,000 and the death toll has exceeded 16,000.


• 1.3 billion people in India are put into a complete lockdown. The Prime Minister announced a total ban on Indians venturing outside their homes for 21 days.

March 23, 2020

• BART reduces service hours to 5am-9pm weekdays and 8am-9pm weekends due to ridership losses approaching 90%.


• NYSE trading becomes all-electronic; trading hours remain the same.


• Contra Costa County offers drive-thru testing for first responders and health care workers.


• Marin County's Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis announces he has tested positive for coronavirus.


• Santa Clara County's Director of Communications and Public Affairs tests positive for coronavirus.


• Santa Clara County announces three more deaths from coronavirus, bringing the county's total to 13.


• Santa Cruz County advises travelers to stay home and avoid overcrowding beaches.


• Sonoma County announces the closure of parks.


• Alameda County reports its first death.


• After 14 days of quarantine, Grand Princess cruise ship passengers at Travis Air Force Base are allowed to leave. Some passengers refused to be tested for coronavirus over concerns it would delay their release.


• Wuhan, China reports no new cases for the fifth day in a row.


• The World Health Organization says "the pandemic is accelerating".


• The United Kingdom issues a stay at home order, matching measures already taken in France, Spain, and Italy.


• Japan to require a 14-day quarantine period for all visitors from the U.S., beginning on Thursday, Mar. 26.

March 22, 2020

• Napa county reports two cases of coronavirus. It is the last county in the Bay Area to have residents test positive.


• Alameda County passes 100 cases.


• San Francisco passes 100 cases.


• Santa Clara county reports 10 total deaths and more than 300 cases. The ninth death was a woman in her 60s. The tenth death was a woman in her 40s.


• Yolo County reports its first death, an older adult with underlying chronic health problems.


• Marin County announces it will close all parks indefinitely, starting Monday, Mar. 23, following an overwhelming number of weekend visitors.


• Lake County restricts lodging and waterways to discourage visitors.


• Hawaii's governor orders mandatory 14-day quarantine for all individuals arriving or returning to Hawaii.


• Sen. Rand Paul becomes the first senator to test positive for coronavirus.


• National Guard activated in California.


• President Trump issues a major disaster declaration for the state of California.


• The S&P 500 futures dropped 5%, hitting the limit down, the maximum drop allowed.

March 21, 2020

• Santa Clara University student tests positive.


• Vice President Mike Pence and wife test negative for coronavirus.

March 20, 2020

• Globally, the death toll from coronavirus passes 10,000.


• Total coronavirus cases in the Bay Area surpass 500; local death toll reaches double digits.


• First death in Sonoma County announced.


• First death in Contra Costa County announced; it is a resident in their 70s who had a pre-existing condition and had recently traveled overseas.


• Seventh and eighth deaths announced for Santa Clara County. The seventh death is a man in his 80s. The eighth death is a man in his 70s.


• San Mateo County surpasses 100 coronavirus cases.


• Gilroy Garlic Festival canceled for 2020.


• Bay to Breakers running race in San Francisco postponed from May to September.


• Yosemite National Park closed.


• Tax deadline delayed from April 15 to July 15.


• Starbucks reduces stores to drive-thru service only.

March 19, 2020

• Gov. Gavin Newsom announces a statewide order to shelter at home, affecting 40 million Californians. The order restricts all non-essential travel and activities outside the home.


• Italy's coronavirus death toll of 3,405 surpasses China's number of fatalities. This same day, China reports no new domestic coronavirus cases for the first time since the outbreak started.


• The U.S. State Department raises its global health advisory to level 4 - its highest level - telling Americans not to travel abroad because of the pandemic.

March 18, 2020

• First case of coronavirus announced in Mendocino County, as well as a shelter in place order.


• Solano County issues shelter in place order to take effect immediately.


• Napa County issues shelter in place order to begin at midnight on Friday, Mar. 20.


• Lake County issues shelter in place order to begin at midnight. There are no known cases of coronavirus in Lake County.


• Sixth death in Santa Clara County announced. The patient was a man in his 60s.


• The Dow Jones closes below 20,000 for the first time in three years. During the trading day it lost 6.3%, ending at 19,898.92.

March 17, 2020

• Shelter in place order takes effect in six counties including Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa Clara. Nearly 7 million Bay Area residents are told to restrict activities and travel to only essential tasks.


• Sonoma County issues shelter in place order to take effect at midnight, Mar. 18.


• Fifth death reported in Santa Clara County, a man in his 50s.


• First coronavirus case at San Jose State University announced.


• CSU postpones commencement ceremonies.


• Death toll nationwide passes 100 and all 50 states have at least one coronavirus case, after West Virginia announces its first case.


• President Trump announces proposal to send immediate cash payments to Americans.


• Uber & Lyft suspend shared ride options.


• Former Golden State Warriors player Kevin Durant announces he has tested positive for coronavirus.


• The PGA Championship, which was to be played at Harding Park in San Francisco in May is postponed.

March 16, 2020

• Shelter in place order announced for six Bay Area counties - Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa Clara - to take effect at midnight, Mar. 17. Santa Cruz county also issues a shelter in place order.


• The first day that most Bay Area schools are closed and students are kept at home. Some classes transition to online learning.


• Most Bay Area public libraries close. Some buildings are repurposed as child care centers.


• Third and fourth deaths reported in Santa Clara County. Both were men, one in his 80s and one in his 50s.


• The Dow Jones experiences its largest point drop in history, losing 2,997.10 during the trading day.


• The Grand Princess cruise ship leaves the Port of Oakland and anchors within the San Francisco Bay. Medical workers remain on board to care for 340 crew members and six foreign passengers.


• SFMTA announces cable car service will be suspended, among other changes.


• French President Emmanuel Macron announced a shelter in place order for the entire country for 15 days starting at noon Tuesday, Mar. 17.


• Vaccination trial begins in Seattle.


• Verily Health launches website to allow people to apply for an appointment for a coronavirus test. The first two drive-through testing sites open at the San Mateo Event Center and Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose. Verily, formerly Google Life Sciences, is a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company.

March 15, 2020

• Governor Gavin Newsom orders all bars, nightclubs, wineries, and brewpubs to close, tells adults age 65 and over and those with chronic health conditions to stay home, allows restaurants to stay open but to reduce capacity so customers are socially distanced.


• First death reported in San Mateo County.


• The number of cases in Santa Clara County passes 100.


• The Centers for Disease Control warns against holding any gatherings larger than 50 people.

March 14, 2020

• UC Berkeley reports a student tested positive for coronavirus.


• Sonoma County reports first case of community spread of coronavirus.


• Many Lake Tahoe-area ski resorts announce closures.


• Many retail stores start shutting down.


• Contra Costa County bans groups of 100+ people, effective at midnight.


• San Mateo County bans gatherings of 50 people or more.


• President Trump extends travel ban with Europe to include UK and Ireland.


• The President tests negative for coronavirus.

March 13, 2020

• Stanford University confirms its first case of coronavirus.


• Second death reported in Santa Clara County, a woman in her 80s.


• Sonoma County bans gatherings of 250 people or more.


• Santa Clara County bans groups of 100 and restricts gatherings between 35 to 100 people.


• San Francisco bans gatherings of 100 people or more.


• President Trump declares a national emergency which opens up $50 billion in federal funding.


• NASCAR postpones season for two weeks.


• The Boston Marathon is postponed from April to September.


• The Masters golf tournament, scheduled for April, is postponed with no new date announced.

March 12, 2020

• San Francisco Unified School district announces all schools will close starting Monday for three weeks. Other districts soon follow.


• San Mateo County bans all gatherings of 250 people or more.


• Most passengers have disembarked the Grand Princess cruise ship at the Port of Oakland.


• Major League Soccer suspends the season.


• The National Hockey League suspends the season.


• NCAA cancels March Madness along with all remaining Winter and Spring Championships.


• Major League Baseball suspends spring training and delays Opening Day at least two weeks.

March 11, 2020

• The World Health Organization declares coronavirus a pandemic, meaning the disease is having a global impact.


• In a live address from the Oval Office, President Trump orders a 30-day travel ban for parts of Europe, beginning at midnight on Friday, Mar. 13. The President also orders the Treasury Department to defer tax payments without penalties or interest.


• San Francisco bans public gatherings of 1,000 people or more. As a result, the Golden State Warriors announce plans to play their upcoming game against the Brooklyn Nets at Chase Center without fans present. All events at Chase Center are cancelled through March 21.


• Alameda County bans events of 1,000 people. The San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's announce that preseason exhibition games will be impacted.


• Utah Jazz basketball player Rudy Gobert tests positive for coronavirus. The news is announced moments before the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder were scheduled to play; the game is abruptly canceled and all fans sent home.


• The NBA announces the season is suspended.

March 10, 2020

• Santa Clara County bans gatherings of 1,000 people or more.


• Contra Costa County recommends canceling mass gatherings.


• The Archdiocese of San Francisco, which has 90 schools in San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo counties, announces it will close all schools March 12 to March 25. The announcement comes after a student tested positive for coronavirus.

March 9, 2020

• The first coronavirus death in Santa Clara County is announced, a woman in her 60s who had been hospitalized for several weeks. She was the third confirmed case in the county.


• Marin County reports its first case of coronavirus. The patient is an older man who was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship between February 11 and 21. Marin County recommends canceling or postponing indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.


• Lake County declares a local health emergency.


• The Grand Princess Cruise ship docks at the Port of Oakland, with 21 confirmed cases of coronavirus among roughly 3,500 passengers and crew. The disembarkation process begins. Local passengers are bussed to Travis Air Force Base for 14 days of quarantine. Out-of-state passengers are flown to quarantine locations including Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Dobbins Air Reserve Station in Georgia, and Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Foreign passengers are flown to their home countries.

March 8, 2020

• Plans to dock the Grand Princess cruise ship, with 21 confirmed coronavirus cases aboard, at the Port of Oakland are announced.

March 7, 2020

• Santa Cruz County reports its first case of coronavirus. The patient was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship that traveled between San Francisco and Mexico from February 11 to February 21.

March 6, 2020

• San Francisco makes public health recommendations that people in vulnerable populations, such as those over age 60, limit public outings, that businesses minimize travel and the number of people working in offices, and that non-essential large gatherings be canceled.


• Test results from the Grand Princess cruise ship are revealed by vice president Mike Pence. 19 crew members and 2 passengers have tested positive for coronavirus. 46 total tests were administered.

March 5, 2020

• Santa Clara county recommends postponing or canceling mass events.


• San Francisco reports its first two cases of coronavirus. The two cases are unrelated; neither patient had a history of travel or contact with an infected individual. The first patient is a man in his 90s with an underlying health condition. The second patient is a woman in her 40s.


• Sonoma County reports its second case of coronavirus. The first and second patients were both passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship between February 11 and 21, traveling between San Francisco and Mexico.


• Coronavirus test kits are airlifted to the Grand Princess cruise ship, which is off the coast of California. Hours later, the samples arrive via helicopter in Richmond, where they are transported by ambulance to a lab.

March 4, 2020

• Santa Cruz County declares a local health emergency.


• Mendocino County declares a local emergency and local health emergency.


• Governor Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency in California.


• The first coronavirus death in California is announced. The fatality is a 71-year-old man from Placer County who traveled on the Grand Princess cruise ship from San Francisco to Mexico between February 11 and 21.


• The Grand Princess cruise ship, en route to Ensenada Mexico, aborts its current itinerary. It begins heading back to San Francisco with an unknown arrival date.

March 3, 2020

• California's primary election is held as planned.


• Contra Costa County reports its first, local case of coronavirus.


• Marin County proclaims health and local emergencies.

March 2, 2020

• Sonoma County declares a local public health emergency after announcing a new case of coronavirus in a county resident. The patient was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship, traveling from San Francisco to Mexico, between February 11 and 21.


• Alameda County reports its first local case of coronavirus.


• San Mateo County announces its first presumptive positive case of coronavirus in a county resident. The patient is an adult who had no known exposure to the virus through travel or community contact and is hospitalized.


• San Mateo County activates its Emergency Operations Center.


• Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers are released from quarantine at Travis Air Force Base. They are taken by bus to San Francisco International Airport as well as Sacramento International Airport to fly home.

February 29, 2020

• The first coronavirus death in the United States is announced in Washington state. A man with no travel history to China died on Feb. 28. Two deaths that occurred Feb. 26 at a Washington nursing home would later be recorded as the first coronavirus deaths in the U.S. (This is later disputed when Santa Clara County announces on April 22 that a woman's death on Feb. 6 was due to coronavirus.)


• The Grand Princess cruise ship leaves Hawaii, en route to Ensenada, Mexico.

February 28, 2020

• A Santa Clara County woman has been diagnosed with the virus, becoming the second patient in the country to contract coronavirus without having traveled to hard-hit countries, or interacting with confirmed patients.

February 27, 2020

• Solano County declares a local state of emergency


• All passengers have left the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

February 26, 2020

• The first case of suspected local transmission in the United States is a resident of Solano County. The patient had not traveled to affected areas or had contact with people knowingly diagnosed with coronavirus. The patient is receiving care at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.


• President Trump appoints vice president Mike Pence to lead the administration's efforts to fight the potential pandemic.


• The Grand Princess cruise ship arrives in Hawaii to make stops in Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and the city of Hilo.

February 25, 2020

• San Francisco declares a local emergency, despite having no local cases.


• Sonoma County reports its first coronavirus patient. The person, a passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, was transferred from Travis Air Force Base.


• Contra Costa County reports three cases of coronavirus from patients who were transferred from Travis Air Force Base. The patients were passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

February 21, 2020

• The Grand Princess cruise ship returns from a 10-day cruise to Mexico. It departs the same day for a 14-day cruise to Hawaii. Some passengers stay on the ship for the second cruise. Multiple people from both voyages will later test positive for coronavirus.

February 20, 2020

• The first confirmed case of coronavirus in Santa Clara County has fully recovered. The male patient was isolated at home and monitored by public health staff; he was never sick enough to require hospitalization.

February 16, 2020

• A State Department flight carrying U.S. passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship arrives at Travis Air Force base, where they will remain for a 14-day quarantine.

February 11, 2020

• The World Health Organization formally renames the novel coronavirus COVID-19. "Co" stands for coronavirus, "Vi" is for virus and "D" is for disease.


• The Grand Princess cruise ship departs San Francisco for a 10-day cruise to Mexico. Multiple passengers from this cruise will later test positive for coronavirus. One of them, a 71-year-old man from Placer County, will become the first coronavirus death in the state of California. (The date of the state's first death is later revised by a discovery made in late April that a Santa Clara County woman died from coronavirus on Feb. 6.)

February 7, 2020

• More American evacuees from China arrive at Travis Air Force Base.

February 6, 2020

• A flight of American evacuees from China lands at Travis Air Force base to refuel before continuing on to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and Omaha, Nebraska. Passengers are subject to a 14-day quarantine.


• A 57-year-old woman in Santa Clara County dies. It is not until April 22 that her cause of death is revealed as coronavirus, making her the first death in the United States.

February 5, 2020

• The Diamond Princess cruise ship anchors off the coast of Yokohama, Japan.-Nearly 200 American citizens evacuated from Wuhan, China arrive at Travis Air Force Base for a two-week quarantine.

February 4, 2020

• The Diamond Princess cruise ship is scheduled to dock at Yokohama, Japan, but health screenings show 10 people have coronavirus. More than 700 will later become infected.

February 2, 2020

• U.S. implements mandatory 14-day quarantine for all American travelers from China. Foreign nationals, other than immediate family members of U.S. Citizens who have traveled to China in the previous 14 days, will be denied entry into the U.S.-Delta, American, and United Airlines each announce plans to suspend all flights to China within days.

February 3, 2020

• Two coronavirus patients from San Benito county are transported to a San Francisco hospital for treatment.

January 31, 2020

• Santa Clara County reports its first new coronavirus case.


• U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar declares a national public health emergency.

January 26, 2020

• The Centers for Disease Control confirm California's first case of coronavirus in Orange County. The patient is a traveler from Wuhan, China. This is the third coronavirus case in the United States.

January 30, 2020

• The World Health Organization declares a "public health emergency of international concern" for only the sixth time in its history.

January 21, 2020

• The first confirmed case of coronavirus in the United States is a man in his 30s who had recently traveled to Wuhan, China.

January 20, 2020

• The Diamond Princess cruise ship leaves Yokohama on a 14-day voyage. A passenger from Hong Kong disembarks early, on January 25, and tests positive for coronavirus on February 1. There are more than 3,700 people on board the cruise ship.

January 11, 2020

• China reports its first death from coronavirus, a 61-year-old man in Wuhan.

December 31, 2019

• The World Health organization says a mysterious pneumonia is sickening dozens in Wuhan, China.

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